Smoke-arch seal



Nov. 18, 1930. w. F. KlEsEL, JR

SMOKE ARCH SEAL Filed July 11 1927 w, Wt 1 Patentecl Nov. 18, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE WILLIAM F. KIESEL, JR., OF ALTOONA, PENNSYVANIA SMOKE-ARCH SEAL Application filed July 11, 1927. Serial No. 205,619.

This invention relates in general to that tight joint between the wall of the comparttype of joint whereby a tube or pipe may pass ment and the pipe. The present invention through an opening in a plate in a fluid-tight provides a 'novel form of seal which is shown manner and yet have slight lateral and lonparticularl'v for use in certain types of locogitudinal movements in respect to the plate motives in which the dry-pipe is divided into without affeeting the tightness of the joint. two parts and passes into the smoke box from More particularly the invention has for its above. It may pass directly through the object the provision of a seal where a steam smoke box, leaving the same near the bottom pipe,or the like,passes through the smoke box to enter a steam chest, or, within the smoke 10 of a locomotive in order that air may not box may be connected to suitable superheatenter the smoke box to affect the draft ers. Under either condition rapid fluctuathrough the boiler flues. tions of temperature both of the smoke box Further the invention resides in the proand of the dry-pipe may cause relative movevision of a seal between a steam pipe and the ment between these parts which must be ac- 15 walls of a hole in the smoke-box of a locomoconimodatedbythe seal, where the pipe enters tive, Wherein a seal ring of resilient material the smoke box, in order to prevent the enis arranged to have a press fit against said trance of air into the smoke box which would walls and to have one of its lateral sides for-ced seriously aiilect the draft. into engagement with the lateral surface of Referring to the drawings there is dis- 20 a flange on the pipe, the pipe proper being closed at 10 the arched wall of a smoke box out of contact with the seal Whereby it may of any desired form having pressed theremove laterally and the seal being resilient from the extension 11, whose upper wall 12 is whereby it may move longitudinally by slidsubstantially at right angles to the axis of ing on the walls of the opening. that portion 18 of the dry-pipe Where it en- 25 Other and further objects and features of tei's the smoke box. The portion 13 of the the invention will be better understood by dry-pipe is shown as circular in cross-section reference to the accompanying drawing and althcugh it is not necessary that it have this following specification wherein is disclosed a configuration. A hole 14 is drilled through single exemplary embodiment of the inventhe Wall 12 substantially concentric with the V 30 tion. It Will be understood that various normal position of the dry-pipe and With its changes may be made in the apparatus as diswall substantially cylindrical. The diameter closed such as fall within the scope of the apof the hole is considerably larger than that pended claims without departing from the of the pipe as is ev'ident from Figs. l and 2.

spirit of the invention. The portion 18 of the dry-pipe, which may 35 In said drawing: well be a casting of steel, adjacent to where it Fig. 1 is a partial transverse section passes through the smoke box is provided through a locomotive smoke box. with a pair of integral flanges 15 and 16 each Fig. 2 is a longitudinal Vertical section on preferably of such a diameter as to easily line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and, pass through the hole 14 for convenienee in 40 Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section on line 3-3 of assembly. The fiange 16 is normally posi- Fig. 2. tioned so that its radial upper surface 17 is in In the construction of locomotives and in substantial alignment with the inner surface numerous other places, it is often desirable to of the wall 12, whereas the fiange 15 has its have a pipe pass through the wall of a comsurface 18 frustro-conical and a substantial partment wherein the pressure is diflerent distance from the outer surface of the wall 12. from that of the atmosphere. If the pipe or The actual seal comprises a member of rethe Walls of the compartment, or both, are silient or sprlngy material such as phosphorsubject to slight movements due to vibrabronzc, steel, or the like, having a configuration or expansion resulting from changes in tion such as .to engage the walls of the hole 1.4 temperature, it is diflicult to maintain a fluidall around irrespective of the shape of this This member is formed of a thin *et of the resilient n'laterial one side of which in cross-sectioi'i, is substantially U- shaped having the convex bottom 21 and the `8nbstantiaily radial walls 22. These walls are quite short and their inner edges are aced a considerable distance from the surface of the pipe 13. The seal member is several thousandths of an inch greater in diameter than the aperture 14 so that it must be driven into position whereby its convex walls 21 male a fluid-tight it with the walls of the opening 11. The fiange 15 is of such a diameter that 'the seal menber can be readily passed ver the same and he driven into the opening until its lower wall 22 is in engagei'nent with radial surface ii of the lower flange 16. To retain the seal against this flange and to prevent it from having a iongitudinal move- .nent relative to the pipe, a wedge ring 23 is arranged betu'ein the u er wall 22 of the i-.eal and the conical surface 18 of the flange 15. ri`his wedge ring is formed of three parts. Two of these parts 21 are merely seg- .nents of a Circle of edge-like cross-section 11s seen in Fig. 1, whereas the third section 25 in additi''n to this segmental wedge-like part is provided with the lugs 20. The outer .surface of the part-s 24 is provided with a shallow circumferential groove 27 for the reception of the U-bolt 28, the endsl of which pass through holes in the lugs 26 and are hreaded to receive the nuts 29. It will be that by tightening these nuts the three *ts of the wedgo ring may be forccd inwardly and by sliding on the conical surface 18 of the iange 15 are moved axially over the pipe to press downwardly on the upper wall 22 of the seal member and thus force that member into tight engagement with the flange 16. At the same time such compressing of the seal member maintains its convex walls tightly against the walls of the opening 14.

Any changes in length of the dry-pipe which result in longitudinal movement thereof only serve to cause a slipping between the convex surface' 21 of the seal and the walls of the opening 14 without affecting` the fiuidtightness at this point. Any movement of the pipe laterally takes place by a slippage of the flange 16 and of the wedge ring over the wall 22 of the seai member without, however, effecting the fiuid tightness between the surface 17 and the seal. Any movement of the dry-pipe about a center transverse to its axis will only cause a roclting of the seal member within its opening and since it is resilientit will maintain a tight contact with the walls of the opening.

The upper end of the portion 13 of the drypipe over which the seal member must be passed is constructed shown in 1 and 2 so as to be secured against the tube without having any projections from its surface which would prevent the free placing of the seal thereover. Since this joint between the two members of the dry-pipe forms no portion of the present invention it will not be further described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a locomotive, in combination, a smoke-box having an opening through the wall thereof, a pipe passing loosely through said opening and subject to longitudinal and lateral. movements due to temperature changes, a pair of circumferential flanges on said pipe spaced one on each side of said smoke-box wall, an annular seal of resilient materal the outer surface of the cross section being U-shaped, the base of the U having a pressed fit into said opening, the inner edges of said seal being spaced from said pipe so that one of said fianges can pass thcrethrough on assembly, one side of said seai abutting one of said fianges, a sectiona Wcdge ring between the other side of said and said other fiange and means to contract said wedge ring to form an airtight fit between said seal and smoke-box and between said seal and fiange.

In a locomotive, in combination, a smoke-box having an opening through the wall thereof, a pipe passing through said opening and subject to slight lateral and longitudinal movements, a seal of resilient material, the outer surface of said seal being of U-shape with the base facing outward and having a press fit in said opening, two fianges on said pipe, one larger than theI opening in said seal and the other smaller, and means between said smaller flange and seal to force the seal into tight contact with said larger fiange.

3. In a locomotive, in combination, a smoke-box having an opening through a wall thereof, a pipe passing through said opening and subject to lateral and longitudinal movements and means to prevent leahage into said smoke-box around said pipe including a resilient sea] having an airtight fit in said opening and a loose fit around said pipe, a flange on said pipe adapted to engage one side of said seal and means to hold said seal against said fiange.

4. A fluid-tight joint for the passage of a pipe through a. plate including a metal seal ring slidable axially in the opening in the plate but always tightly engaging the walls thereof, means restraining said seal from relative movement axially of said pipe and means whereby the pipe may have lateral movement in respect to the whole seal.

5. A fluid-tight joint including in combination, a plate having a hole therein, a pipe passing through said hole with considerable clearance, a resilient seal shaped to engage the walls of saidhole in a fluid-tight manner but clear of, said pipe, a fiange on said pipe having a radial face engaging said seal for lateral slidin thereon and means to retain said seal in fliid-tight engagement with said flange.

6. A fluid-tight joint between a pipe and a plate including in combination, a plate having a hole therein, a pipe having spaced radial fianges thereon, one on each side of said plate and out of engagement therewith, a seal of resilient material adapted to be passed over one of said flanges and pressed into fluid-tight engagement with the walls of said hole and means to press said seal into fluid-tight slidable engagement with the other flange, said seal being a ring normally U-shaped in 'cross-section so that said means also presses it against said walls.

7. A fluid-tight joint between a plate and a pipe passing therethrough including in combination, a plate having a hole therein, a pipe passing loosely through said hole and having a circumferential fiange on each side of said plate, a resilient seal member closely engaging the walls of said hole and having a central opening of such size as to pass over one of said fianges and clear the pipe, and means to press a face of said seal into slidable, fluid-tight engagement with the other flange.

8. A fluid-tight joint for the passage of a pipe through a plate including a flange on said pipe and a seal engaging said flange, means Whereby said pipe and seal jointly may move axially in respect to said plate and means whereby said pipe may move laterally in respect to said plate and the flange slide laterally in respect to the whole seal.

9. A fluid-tight joint for the passage of a pipe through a plate including a fiange on said pipe and a seal engaging said flange, means Whereby said pipe and seal jointly may move axially in respect to said plate, means whereby said pipe may move laterally in respect to said plate and slide laterally over said seal and means to retain said seal always against said flange.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

WILLIAM F. KIESEL, JR. 

